Rotary engine.



c. M. MnscHow & w. A. RAMEY.

y ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 10| |915.

1 ,21 9,837. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fi :1.1. E

a *l J2 if A'FlllRNEYEI C. M. MITSCHOW & W. A. RAMEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLxcATloN FILED SEPT. lo, 1915,.

1,219,837. -V Patented Mar. 2o, i917.

'e -2 sums-SHEET 2.

I le'.

l 2 I INVENT'EIRE ATTDRNEYS 4UNITED STATES PATENT- oFFIcE. A

CHARLES M. HITSOHOW AND WILLIAM A. RAMEY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

To all lwlmm it may concern.' j Be it known that we, CHARLES M. MlTsvcHoW and WILLIAM A. RAMEY, citizens of the United States, residingA at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and usefullmproyements in Rotary Engines, of-which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rotary engine which is adapted to be operated by a iuidv tween the outer edges of the blades and the bore of the cylinder; also to provide improved means for packing the joint between the ends of therotor and the ends of the cylinder; and also to provide simple and eiiicient means `for forcibly ejecting each blade on the inlet side of the cylinder by a companion blade which is on the-outlet side of the same.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure` l 1s a side elevation of a rotary engine embodying o ur improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal 'section of the same taken on line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3'is a vertical transverse section ofthe machine taken through the cylinder and rotor. 'Fig 4is a vertical transverse section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a. fragmentary 'longitudinal section taken'on line 5-5, Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of one of the blades or pistons looking -at opposite sides of the same. 1 ,Figa 8 is an end view partly in section, on a reduced scale, of the rotor. and the blades and end packing ring thereon. v V

Similar characters, of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the'several views.`

-1representsithe base or mainframe of theengine which Amay be of vany suitable construction. Upon the central ipart of this base is mounted the-A cylinderjor casing` of the engine which .comprises a. cylindrical 'body 2 having its a'xls preferably arranged horlzontally andprovided with a cylindi'flcalV .5 A bore, and twoheads 3 which -,close l sposite ends of the 'cylinder--body: and are.

Specification of Letters Patent.

-, tainin j etachta'bly secured thereto by-"means of 4 01- Patenteaiuar. 2o, 1917.

Application filed-September 10, 191'5. Serial No. 49,935.

other suitable means.' Along one longitudivnal line or part of the bore of the cylinder,

preferably the underside thereof, Athe same forms an abutment 5 andadjacent to one side of this abutment the body of the cylinder is provided with an inlet 6 for the pres-v engages with or is proximate to theabutment of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 3, while its 4opposite ends engage with or are proximate to the heads or ends of the cylinder..

This rotor is rotatably supported in this position preferably by means of a, shaft 9 extending axially'through the same 'and turn-A ing therewith, the opposite ends of this shaft passin through stuffing boxes 10 arranged in 't e 'heads of the cylinder and journaled in .bearings 11, 11 arranged 'externally of the engine cylinder. Each of these bearings is preferablyconstructed in the form of a sleeve yand the 'same' is adjustably supported so that the same can be moved in all directions in a plane parallel with-the direction of rotation for the purpose of vrelieving the stuli'ing boxes of the cylinder of undue' wear as well as mainthe cy inder. For this purpose each ofthe bearings 11 is surrounded by the tubular yhead 12 of a standardlwhich rises from the base and the head is'provided with a plurality of adjusting screws 14 which are arranged circumferentially ondierent parts thereof'and engage with the outer sldeuof from this construction that by suitably adjusting these screws the 'bearing sleeves can beA shifted for bringing the same into the so-v the rotor'in its proper relation to the respective bearing. It will be apparent as shown in the drawings, are preferably four in number fand are arranged equidistant circumferentially of vthe rotor vbut which number may varied as desired. Each of these-.guide-waysextends the full Vlength of the rotor but at its in-- losy f piston 16 which is adapted to maintain its outer edge in a definite relation to the bore of the cylinder whereby this blade is caused to move radially inwardly and outwardly 7 relatively to the rotor as the blades and rotor turn together during the operation of the engine. rl`his is due to the fact that while the blade is passing over the abutment of the cylinder this blade is pushed inwardly to its maximum extent relative to the rotor,

the blade then gradually moves outwardly during the continued rotary motion in following the bore of this cylinder until it reaches a point on the latter diametrically opposite to the abutment, and then again gradually recedes into the rotor until the abutment of the cylinder is reached. After vthe blade passes the pressure medium inlet on the intake side of the cylinder the pressure of this medium against the rear side of the blade pushes the latter forwardly and after each blade during its forward movement passes the outlet for the spent pressure medium on theexhaust side of the engine the spent pressure medium between this blade and the next following blade escapes through the outlet.

Although centrifugal force operates mainly to project the bladesinto their outermost position and hold the same in relation to the bore ofthe cylinder this-action is supplemented and the engagementl of the blades with th ebore of the `cylinder is rendered more certain, particularly when starting the engine by" means of spring pressure.v For this purpose two springs 17 preferably of helical formare interposed between the inner edges of the two pistons of a pair which are arranged diametrically in line with each other on opposite sides of the axis of the rotor, the central parts o-f these springs being arranged in openings 18 extending from the inner end of one guide-way thereof to the inner end of the companion guide-way and also through the adjacent part of the engine shaft, as shown -in Figs. 2 and 3.

When the engine has not been running for some time the bladesare liable to stick in the guide-ways and not move out promptly on the intake side of the engine. To overcome this the blades of each pair are coupled in such manner that the inward movement of each blade on theexhaust side operates t0 forcibly push its companion blade on the intake side outwardly relatively to the rotor. This is preferably accom lished by means of two pushrods 19 each of) which is arranged loosely within one of the helical springs 17 so as to serve as a guide forthe latter and hold the same in place while its opposite ends are arranged loosely with pockets or recesses 20 in the inner ends of the companion blades. The length of each ofthesepush rods is such that the same engages its opposite ends with the bottoms of the recesses or pockets 2O in the respective blades when the latter are arranged at right angles to a radial line drawn through the abutment of the cylinder and the axes of the cylinder and rotor, lat which time these two blades approach each other most closely owing to the eccentric arrangement of the rotor within the cylinder. If there is any tendency of the blade on the intake side of the engine to stick the inward movement of the blade on the exhaust side of the engine will cause this movement to be transmitted through the A rods 19 to the corresponding blade on the invtake side of the engine and ushthe latter outwardly so as to start t e same after which the blade to be projected will continue its outward movement and maintain its proper relation to the cylinder under the action of the push springs 17. `After the push rods have performed this function of starting a blade outwardly on the intake side of the engine they simply operate as guides for the push springs which are arranged around the same; this being due to the fact that the distance between the bottoms of the sockets 20 gradually becomes greater than the length of these rods up to the time that each -blade reaches a position diametrically opposite to the abutment of the cylinder after which the two blades of a pair again approach each other and the bottoms of their sockets 20 are again speared a distance equal to the length of the push rods when the companion blades are arranged horizontally or at right angles to a radial line extending from the axis of the rotor .to the abutment of the cylinder. This' differential in the relative arrangement of the blades of each pair is due to the eccentric arrangement of the rotor within the cylinder which causes the distance between the outer ends of the bladeswhen in aposi- -tion at right angles to the abutment to be somewhat less than when these blades are arranged in line with the radius of the cylinder and the abutment.-

Leakage of steam or other pressure medium from one compartment between adjacent blades of the periphery of the rotor to the compartmentsbetween other blades at the ends of the rotor and cylinder is prevented by packing devices each of which preferably comprises a ring 21 arranged in an annular groove 22 in one end of the rotor and yieldingly held in contact with its outer side against the inner side ofthe ad'acent cylinder head by means of a pluralityof panion packing ring. Each of these packing rings is provided with a plurality of radial slots ornotches each of which receives the adjacent end of oneof the blades,

- thereby enabling this packing ring to opera'te Without interfering with the movement of the blades and also causing the blades to form the means whereby the packing ring is turned with the rotor.

- At its inner end each blade is f provided with means forpacking the joint between the same and the bore of the cylinder so as to produce a tight joint between the same which will avoid leakage of the pressure medium past this joint. This packing preferably comprises a packing strip or bar 25 arranged with its inner side 1n a longitudinal groove 26 formed in the outer end of the blade and bearing with its outer side againstthe bore of the cylinder. In order to enable this packing strip to shift its position and adapt its outer bearing surface to the bore of the cylinder durin the rotation of the rotor the inner side o this strip is made of arcuate form in cross section and the groove 26 is made of corresponding form` operates againstthe rear side of the blade.'

In order to counteract to some extent the centrifugal force whereby the several packing strips are pressed against the bore of the cylinder during the operation of the engine and reduce the wear upon these parts accordingly means are provided which are preferably constructed as follows:

27, 27 represent openings extending from the packing groove at the outeredge of each blade to the inner edge of the same. Within each of theseopenings is arranged a'spring 28 preferably of helical form, which is secured at its outer end to the packing strip mounted on the respective blade while its inner endis secured to a screw 29 which engages with the threaded inner part of the opening 27. By turning the screw so a's to shift its position lengthwise in the respecltive opening the tension of'the spring may be varied as required to olf-set the centrifugal force whereby the packing strip is thrown outwardly against the bore of the cylinder and thereby insure a tight joint between the blade and the cylinder without vblades and the rotor wardly by centri ugal force against the bore of the cylinder and the respective blades 16 are. retarded in their outward movement by reason of the steam pressure producing a binding or retardin effect between the leakage between these strips and the blades is prevented by reason of the packing strips being pushed laterally to a limited extent by the steam pressure so `that the convex inner sides oftheqstrips ride up on the convex outer ends of the blades with an edge like action and thereby serve to close the joints between these strips and the blades which efl'ectually 4prevents the passage of steam between the Ablades and the outer strips while the same are subjected to steam pressure.

In the absence of any provision to prevent y it the pressureof the live steam or pressure medium 'against the rear side of each blade and the partly spent steam or pressure medium against the front side of the blade causes an -unevenness in this pressure whereby the bladel is tipped or tilted and caused not only to slide hard in its guide-way but also to wear these parts unduly. For the purpose of avoiding this action each of the blades is preferably constructed as follows:

On its rear side each of the blades is provided withv a recess which terminates short of the outer and inner edges of .the blade and which comprises a comparatively short or small area outer part or section 32 which is arranged wholly on the outer part or half of the blade and a comparatively long or'large area -part or section 31 which is arranged wholly on the inner half or art of the blade. On'its front side each of t e'blades is provided with a recess 30'which is of comparatively long or large area and extends lengthwise of the blade but terminates short of its opposite transverse edges while its outer longitudinal side terminates short of the outer of the recess on the rear side of the blade is exposed tothe action of the live steam or pressure medium which permits this medium to pass inwardly to the enlarged inner section orpart 31 of the rear recess and act with considerable pressure forwardly against the inner part of this blade at the same time that live steam is pressing forwardly against the unrecessed outer part of the rear side of this blade, thereby equalizing to a certain ,extent the pressure of the pressure medium over the entire'area of the rear side of the blade and reducing the tendency of this blade to tip or tilt in its guide-way. This tendenc to tilt the blade is further reduced after t e blade has 'effected the initial part of its outward movement in the rotor and passed the in- .ward port by reason of the outer part of the recess on the front side of the blade being at this time exposed to the action of the partly spent steam or pressure in front of the same which medium is permitted to pass part way into engagement with the intermediate part of the blade which is still covered by the guide-way and thereby distributes the ressure of this partly spent ressure me ium more uniformly over the ont side of this blade. By thus modifying the eect of the live pressure medium on the rear side ofeach blade and the-effect of the partly spent ressure medium on the front side of theb ade,'

the tendency of the blade to bettipped is reduced, thereby enabling the same to slide more freely and promptly in the rotor and also reducin the wear on the coperating surfaces of t ese parts, thereby reducing the friction in the engine and'increasing its efficiency.

We claim as our invention:

l. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a longitudinal abutment on one part of its bore, an inlet for the pressure medium on one side of said abutment and an outlet for the spent ressure medium on the opposite side of said abutment, a rotor journaled eccentrically in said cylinder so that one art of its periphery is proximate to said a utment and provided with a plurality of radial guideways, and a blade arranged in each of said guide-ways and movable radially therein relatively to the rotor and each blade rovided on its rear side with a recess w ich terminates short of the inner and outer edges of said blade and which has a short outer part and a long inner part and each blade being also provided on its front side with a recess which is arranged wholly on the outer part of the blade and extends lengthwise of the blade a greater distance than the short outer part of the recess on the rearside of the blade. y

2. A rotary engine comprising a cylinder having a longitudinal abutment on one part of its bore, an inlet for the pressure medium on one side of said abutment and an outlet 4for the spent pressure on the opposite side of said abutment, a rotor journaled eccentrically in said cylinder so that one part of its periphery is proximate to said abutment andprovided with a plurality of radial guide-ways, a blade arranged in each of said guide-ways and movable radially therein v relatively to the rotor and each blade provided in its outer edge with a longitudinal groove which is arcuate in cross section, a

packing .strip arranged in each of said grooves and having an arcuate inner side engaging with the corresponding surface of said groove and engaging its outer side with the bore Vof said cylinder and means for counteracting the centrifugal action on said packing strip comprising a spring arranged in a radial opening in said blade and connected at its outer end with said packing strip and means arranged in the inner end of said opening and connected with the inner end of said spring.

7 CHARLES M. MITSGHOW.` WILLIAM A. RAMEY. 

